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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24617113">Warrior, Chieftain, King</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/stammed_cleams/pseuds/stammed_cleams'>stammed_cleams</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Denial, F/M, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Pining, Poly Relationship, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, Sokka Has Two Hands, awkward teens, dual wielding as a metaphor for bisexuality, im so original, physical affection, pre-established (part of it), referenced homophobia, sokka and suki pre-established, think about it, what if.................. every atla character was bi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:00:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,352</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24617113</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/stammed_cleams/pseuds/stammed_cleams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Since the war, both Sokka and Zuko have had remarkable success watching over their respective nations, Sokka in the tiny, familial Southern Water Tribe and Zuko in the expansive, complex Fire Nation. In a moment of peace, Sokka decides to take a visit to the fire nation and discuss with Zuko his past as the Blue Spirit, and asks him to teach him how to dual-wield. Over Sokka's stay in the palace they begin to see value in each other in places they didn't expect, value that only gets more complicated when Suki arrives and begins asking some startling questions.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka/Zuko/Suki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>AtLA <10k fics to read</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Young Masters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>HEY GUYS!!!!! what did i say, atla time!!!! we doing a slow burn, we doing some poly, sokka got two hands motherfuckers you absolutely love to see it. just a heads up, suki doesnt come in for a hot second, quite a few chapters at least. but hey its not slow burn unless they dont make eye contact until 6 chapters in right? enjoy gang, hope some of yall are avatar fans!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Becoming Firelord didn’t change Zuko as much as people had thought. He still changed, of course - but it wasn’t in that moment, in some mystical wave during his coronation. It took effort. Lately he had been working on changing into something he was more interested in being, which, unsurprisingly, was a person similar to his Uncle Iroh. In the past few weeks he had become less volatile and insecure, as well as less impatient. He smiled more often, and forced himself to appreciate the beauty of things. He’d even developed a sense of humor - pathetic, though it was. He had exactly two examples of what funny people were like, and those were Iroh and Sokka - neither of which were stellar examples when it came to the real world. But more importantly than him being able to tell jokes, he could have jokes told around him without scowling you down like he had before. All that, and of course, his tea-making skills had improved greatly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had taken to meditating - something he had never considered to be worthwhile in his youth. But he had a better understanding of nuance now, and being Firelord of a very wartorn nation created a lot of nuance and a lot of things to think about. All things considered, the fact that he had gotten </span>
  <em>
    <span>less </span>
  </em>
  <span>volatile in his current position either said a lot to his sheer force of will or to his conditions beforehand. As far as the short term was considered, he’d been doing somewhat worse. The privileged, uninformed life of a Prince was worlds apart from the responsibility of a King. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was now in the forests outside the palace, listening to the bugs scurry across the leaves and the wind blow through the trees. It was wonderfully tranquil. That is, it was for a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zuko!” a voice exclaimed. Zuko didn’t have to open an eye - it was Sokka. “What’s up, Firelord? Love the hair dealy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled. “Sokka!” he said, opening his eyes, “I didn’t know you were coming. I thought you had business in the Water Tribe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Katara’s got it pretty much taken care of.” Sokka sat himself down on the leaves and twigs, “I just wanted to… you know, stop by. Notice anything… different about me?” He proudly lifted his face to the light that squinted through the canopy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko squinted “Uh…” he contemplated, “You… got a new sword?” he guessed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s the beard!” he exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at his almost entirely hairless jawline. “What beard?” he asked.</span>
</p><p><span>Sokka scowled, “It’s coming in, it’s just this stupid… dark forest, you can’t see it, but trust me, it looks great!” He paused for a moment, grin across his face. “So, you’re… meditating now? Did Aang teach you how to go to the spirit world or something?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“I’m just meditating,” answered Zuko seriously. </span></p><p>
  <span>“Right. And I’m just the Earth King.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… started it recently,” he argued, “I’m a different person than I was. I had to put my old self behind me. It wasn’t as easy as you’d think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka nodded, impressed. “Alright. New Zuko, new hair thingy, new hobbies.” A thought then occurred to him and he creased his eyebrows, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Did </span>
  </em>
  <span>Aang teach you how to go to the Spirit Realm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t… think he can teach people that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right,” Sokka said dismissively, as if he hadn’t been begging Aang to teach him despite that very fact for months. “New hobbies are good, love self-change...” he suddenly wandered back, “Of course, old Zuko could do some pretty cool stuff too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool like trying to kill the Avatar or cool like not having any sense of humor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka laughed, a bit over the top. “Look at you, you make jokes now! Now that is something I never thought I’d see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko scowled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oop, nevermind, he’s back.” Sokka grinned at him, loving and mischievous. Zuko sighed, and forced himself to smile. Even after all this time, Sokka could still get his goat. </span>
</p><p><span>“What are you getting at?” he asked him, “What’s this about my ‘past self’?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Sokka appeared almost nervous for a moment. “Well…” he began, “I was… actually planning on staying in the Fire Nation for a while. My dad and Katara told me they'd take care of the water tribe while I was gone.” A rare look of humility appeared on his face. “I don’t want to bring up any bad memories, but… a while ago, Aang told me about… when he was saved by ‘the Blue Spirit’. By you.”</span></p><p>
  <span>Zuko sobered, evaluating him carefully. He let him go on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He… talked about the incredible things you did and… it got me thinking about my own abilities and… I know you’re probably really busy with being the Firelord and everything, but I was wondering if you’d... teach me how to dual-wield. It… would be an honor to learn from you.” Sokka bowed respectfully before him, as was traditional when facing any master, and a friend was no exception. Zuko’s eyes widened, watching, bewildered, as the best swordsman he knew bowed in deference to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me?” he startled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” answered Sokka, “Aang said you broke in and out of a maximum security holding cell, with a 30 foot wall, guards, and chains without even using firebending! And… I’ve never even seen you use them!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes but, Aang was the one who did most of the work with his… airbending and everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You had to get him out! Come on, don’t hold out on me here! If you won’t teach me, can I at least see your crazy, whirlwind double sword technique?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko looked away, considering it. He hadn’t been the Blue Spirit in a very long time, and he’d only had to dual-wield when filling that role. He hadn’t even touched a sword since Ba Sing Se… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka attempted to conceal his disappointment. “I get it. Too many memories, I shouldn’t have asked, I just figured I’d give it a shot-”</span>
</p><p><span>Zuko raised his hand, then bowed. “It would be my honor to teach you.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Sokka grinned. “Yeah, just a couple of butt-kicking, non-bending fighters, slicing it up for the Fire Nation!” he said, and punched the air.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Zuko chuckled softly, but looked away. Sokka deserved to know, but he wasn’t looking forward to touching those swords again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zuko sat in the royal chambers, fire rolling in deep reds behind him. Before him was a long red pillow with two sleek silver scimitars laid out before him, with discrete black handles, almost identical to his last ones. Sokka sat in front of him. This was a version of him he had not seen before - part of him had assumed he would be as distractible and goofy during a lesson as he was the rest of the time. But he had sobered up to some degree, watching intently. It was almost intimidating, having a student who was so ready to learn. Nevertheless, he started in firmly, and tried to believe that he knew what he was talking about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am sure, as a skilled swordsman, you understand that the sword must be treated as an extension of your body,” he began, “This becomes even more important when you’re working with two swords.” Zuko lifted the swords. They felt cold in his hands. He stood and immediately began to spin and twirl them in intricate attacks. If one was still, then the other was moving. Each time he thrusted forward to attack with one, the other, as if it were a being of its own, twirled and lead him to the other side of his stance, where he would strike again. The speed and movement of normal sword fighting was threefold the way he moved. It reminded Sokka of Katara’s waterbending forms - smooth, and restless. His eyes lit up. He was remarkably skilled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keeping track of two extensions of yourself requires diligence, and balance,” Zuko went on as he performed, “If you try to use the swords with the passion or ferocity used in other techniques, your balance will fail. One sword will take power over the other, and the second will become an anchor, and hinder your fighting instead of helping it. Passion will only lead to over-zealous attacks, and intuitive movements. But they’re not intuitive instruments. To use them properly, you have to fully detach yourself from where you are, who you’re attacking, and what’s at stake. You have to trust the weapons to work on their own and focus on nothing but your technique, and your goal. If your emotion takes over, even for a moment, it’s over.” On that final note, he finished his display with his first perfectly symmetrical move, crossing the swords over each other and bringing them sharply down to his sides. </span>
</p><p><span>“That was incredible!” Sokka exclaimed, “How have I never seen you do that?!”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Zuko looked down, swords still at his sides. “I gave it up a long time before I joined your group,” he answered grimly. </span></p><p><span>“</span><em><span>Why?</span></em><span>”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“It’s complicated,” answered Zuko dismissively, “Here.” He handed both of the swords to Sokka, who sprang to his feet to accept him. “Now, show me your stance.” </span></p><p><span>With a degree of uncertainty, Sokka fell into a position with one sword out on front of him and the other protecting his chest, the amendment one would expect to the standard defensive stance. He held one blade boldly out in front of him and the other fell close to his waist, his feet several feet apart. Zuko approached, and adjusted Sokka’s left arm, pushing it outwards and tilting the sword to fall across him, instead of parallel to where he was facing. He then stepped in front of hi mand pushed his other arm closer to him, creating a tighter and more powerful stance. “Your second sword is at your waist like you’ll use it </span><em><span>in case </span></em><span>something happens to your first one. But both swords should be working for you at the same time. You have to use them both to your advantage.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Sokka expertly adjusted his stance, holding the swords closer to him as instructed. Zuko paced around him as he spoke. “It’ll be tempting to resort to one sword and completely forget about the other. It may seem much easier to just ignore it…” In a flash, he drew his own sword from his belt and swung down towards Sokka’s shoulder. Sokka raised his right sword to block it above his head, the resulting ‘clang’ resonating around the great hall. Just as fast, he returned his opposite sword to its unused position near his waist. Just as fast there came two more strikes flicked at his chest, both of which he expertly parried with the sword in his right hand, and on the third strike which came right for his head Sokka ducked to the side. There he stumbled, his stance breaking, having to throw his arms out beside him and sway for a moment to stay on his feet. Zuko lowered his sword and finished his sentiment. “But if you do, it will be impossible to keep your balance. You need to learn to use both. And for that, you need to learn to use them both, one at a time.” </span></p><p>
  <span>Before explaining, Zuko held his hands out palms up, and Sokka returned to him his swords. Zuko reached to Sokka’s waist and drew his sword from its sheath - it was, in fact, new, made of light, shimmering steel. Its hilt was a deep blue decorated with tufts of wolf fur, a distinguished artifact of the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko handed it to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka gasped, eyes lighting up like a child’s on Christmas. “Am I gonna get to swordfight you with your super cool double swords?!” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko half-smiled, and nodded. But as Sokka went to reach for his sword he pulled it away. “But not… with that hand,” he told him. Sokka cast him a look, then smiled, and took up his sword with his left hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The instant he did so Zuko came down with a strike at his head, one which he just barely managed to counter. He unleashed a whirlwind of attacks. Nearly failing to counter them all Sokka opted to ducking out of the way. He bobbed and weaved between the twisting and spinning of the swords - as a blade spiralled towards his ankles he leapt a foot into the air and jabbed his sword wildly forward. But his left arm was weaker, and unwieldy. His attack severely undershot, flying inches to the side of Zuko’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko’s face had gone stark, hair coming wildly loose from its pin, as he spun to the right and clawed over Sokka’s arching back like an insect mandible with his right sword, reaching in for the back of his neck. He was startlingly fast, and managed to get within a few inches of Sokka’s neck before he could fall to a knee and roll away from him. He’d need distance - he couldn’t make the mistake of lingering too close to him again. He leapt to his feet from where he knelt, and then launched into a backflip right over Zuko’s head. He landed several feet behind him, squarely on his feet. The battle paused for half a second as Zuko squinted, jaw hanging slightly open. He’d heard tale of Sokka’s martial skill, but he’d never seen it in practice. His fighting style was very distinctly </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>, filled with unpredictable feints and twists that spoke to his ingenuity and cleverness. What hand he fought with seemed to have little to do with his skill - the sword was a sharp and precise tool for his rapidly expanding plans, and that was all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka took this split second to identify his superiorities. Most notable was that Zuko had a lot to focus on. It was like he said - focus, and detachment. When distracted, the swords would take on a mind of their own, and betray him. His plan constructed, he lunged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He focused as much as he could on his aim, and then drove his sword not into Zuko’s chest, but to his side. He tilted his sword sideways and ran it along Zuko’s side under his golden sash, and then twisted his grip on his sword, and pulled inwards. With a startled grunt Zuko was tugged about a foot nearer to him, his stance breaking, and extracting his sword Sokka took to the offensive. He slid back and swung wide for the chest - were it his right hand, it would have been the win. But Zuko had just enough time to bring up both swords to deflect the strike. There they entered a showdown, Sokka pressing his sword into both of Zuko’s swords for a moment, before lifting it and aiming for his gut, where Zuko blocked downward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Zuko, how’s being Firelord going?” he asked with a smile, as he swung again towards his chest. Zuko scowled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” he hissed. </span>
</p><p><span>“Really? Cause it looks like it’s stressing you out. You been getting a good eight hours of sleep every night?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Zuko swiped at Sokka’s legs with both his swords, at which point he leapt into the air and jumped off of the one on top, leaping to the side and making another swing. Zuko ducked under it, resolving to ignore him. His face went steady, and he swung from beneath where Sokka could see, momentarily breaking his stance. Sokka stumbled, and barely dodged out of the way of another strike. He’d have to up the ante. </span></p><p><span>“You know, have I ever told you that I think you are a really good looking guy?” he asked, almost flirtatiously, as he blocked and dodged the flurry of attacks that drove him closer to the royal throne. “Sharp jawline, </span><em><span>great </span></em><span>hair. Even before the whole Firelord getup, I always thought you were just easy on the eyes.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Both swords over Sokka’s head and pressed against his swords, Zuko paused for a moment to look at him, perplexed. “</span><em><span>What?!” </span></em><span>he demanded. That was all the time Sokka needed. He pulled his sword out from him and swung for his head, making Zuko cry out and stumble back, unbalanced. Sokka took to the offensive, but he was still just as slow as he was before. He missed time and time again, Zuko effortlessly weaving between the blows. “Stupid left arm!” he declared, as Zuko used that window to lunge forward again and send him stumbling. He engaged him ferociously with his left sword, and the two clattered together while the two of them stood in place for nearly a minute. Just when Sokka began to get tired, Zuko lunged forward and Sokka pushed his sword out of the way, opening up his body. Zuko lifted his other sword, which had nearly been forgotten, to his neck, and the match was over. </span></p><p>
  <span>Zuko let his swords take their places at his sides, and Sokka tossed his sword to his right and and then sheathed it. </span>
</p><p><span>Zuko looked immediately annoyed. “What was all that complimenting me in the middle supposed to mean!?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“I was distracting you! I thought maybe if you lost focus you’d… you know, lose your momentum!” Sokka argued. </span></p><p>
  <span>Zuko gave him an irritable look. What was even more annoying was that it almost worked. After a moment, however, he dropped it, and said with wonder, “I didn’t know you could fight like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you kidding?! I didn’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>could fight like that!” Sokka exclaimed, grinning. “You were all like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>schkew, whoosh-whoosh-whoosh, clang-shh- </span>
  </em>
  <span>it was crazy!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh… thank you?” he answered, and raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never known a bender to care about like, normal fighting. Usually they’re too caught up in… elements and… magic, and whatever!” Sokka observed. Zuko, then, took a moment to acknowledge the look of incredulous wonder on his face. He was seriously impressed - no one had been seriously impressed by him in… um… Well, long enough that he had to think about it, and that sort of spoke for itself. Admittedly, he wasn’t certain how to cope with it, going somewhat rigid as his words escaped him. </span>
</p><p><span>“Uh…” he began, and rubbed the back of his neck, “Well… It was just something I took up when I was younger, so…”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Fire nation prince duties?” Sokka asked sympathetically.</span></p><p>
  <span>“No, actually. It was just… something I wanted to do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka leaned back for a moment, giving him a closer look under this new light. As far as he was concerned, bending was impressive to be certain, but it was also the easy way out. He didn’t understand how the movements of the body corresponded to the movements of rocks or wind or whatever but it all felt very vague, and general, and powerful. The sword took meticulous control, patience, and unbelievable skill to be considered any less than a joke amidst powerful bending peers (he was still a joke from time to time, particularly to Toph). There was no field more respectable than the pursuit of martial arts, especially by those who could just be content with the easy way out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled at Zuko, calmly, and for a moment it was not the delight of a teenage boy but the reverence of a proud warrior of the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko felt a hotness coming to his cheeks independent of his firebending, struggling to look at him. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>have a beard coming in, he noticed. “Um… yeah,” he agreed uneasily. “We can put the swords away now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… just did, this is my sword,” Sokka reminded him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Zuko answered, eyes still on the ground, “That would be just me, then, because I’m the only one with… swords. I mean, you also have a sword but mine are the only ones that I don’t carry around. I mean… I’ll just go - go do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glad to be out of the situation, Zuko hurried off to return his swords to some servant who would take them back to where they decorated his quarters. Sokka watched him as he left, perplexed by the sudden redness of his cheeks and stumbling in his speech. He crossed his arms. “Huh,” he said to himself, “Weird guy.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Sokka Alone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sokka awakes in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, and is surprised by the way he is addressed by the palace guards. He also meets with an old friend of the group while wandering the halls.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>what is UP yall. you KNOW i be missing my good pals *checks writing on hand* socks, zucchini, and The Love Of My Life, Kyoshi Warrior Suki.</p><p>Speaking of suki.......... still no her yet. I did say slow burn didn't I?</p><p>Have a good time yall! And if you like Dimension 20, check out the rest of my work!! There's a lot to see!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sokka loved everything about stays at the Fire Nation palace except for one thing. That of course, was the heat. The Fire Nation was very aptly labeled, in his opinion, and most of the time he found himself dressing in the red clothes native to the land as opposed to his own. After all, even his comparatively ‘warm weather clothes’ were still thick cotton and animal fur, meant to be layered, and appearing incomplete if they weren’t. That was why, alone in his room, he had long since sacrificed modesty for comfort and stripped down to his underwear, trying to get some semblance of sleep in what to him was a sauna. He was wasting his time - how could Zuko bear it? At around 2 AM he told himself his Southern Water Tribe representation could wait. He reluctantly pulled all of his clothes back on and walked to the grand red doors that lead out of his decorated, traditional room that was always set aside for him. Stepping out, he turned to one of the two guards that was always on watch for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, do you guys think you could grab me, just like, a light shirt and some pants or something?” he asked.</span>
</p><p><span>“Of course, Chieftain Sokka.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Sokka’s jaw dropped, a brilliant excitement flooding into his eyes, but before he could say anything the guard obediently took off. He turned to the other guard standing patiently on the right side of the door. “Did you… did he just… did he…” he stammered.</span></p><p><span>The guard cautiously asked, “Is… Chieftain an incorrect title sir?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Sokka suddenly looked unreasonably pleased with himself, practically glowing as he rocked back and forth on his heels. “No, no. Chieftain’s right. That’s me. Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe. And now the </span><em><span>Chieftain </span></em><span>is gonna go for a walk down the hall, if you don’t mind, uh, just… keeping an eye on the room.”</span></p><p>
  <span>The guard, at this point, looked a little confused. “You’re, uh, free to go where you please, sir,” she said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, beaming. “Right. Thank you for your service, as always!” he waved, a bit over the top, as he continued down the hallway, having completely forgotten about the heat. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Chieftain. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It hadn’t even occurred to him. It hadn’t happened that way, the Southern Water Tribe didn’t have any big coronations or respect for titles like the Fire Nation did. His father just told him that he was going to try and go on a foreign mission to reconnect with the Northern Water Tribe and join forces, a safe trip but a long one, and in the meantime he gave him the responsibility of looking over the village. Then he got home and Sokka had already made all the decisions, and Hakoda saw no reason to deny him when he was making things so productive and making people so happy, and things just went on from there. But there were no titles - to everyone in the village, he was just Sokka, and he was who you went to if you had trouble with something in the village. But now that he thought about it, that made him the leader, the top of the chain. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>Chieftain. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He practically skipped through the halls, replaying the intonation in that guard’s voice as he addressed him over and over again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka found that he was no longer tired and wandered more and more around the Palace. It was a beautiful place. Sweaty and hot, but beautiful. The walls were lined with touches of solid gold, with intricate patterns displaying images of royaling flame dancers and characters in the Fire Nation Language. He came to a part of the hall with the portraits of the old Firelords. Bunch of old guys. Sozin, yikes, Ozai, yikes. To the right of him was, as far as Sokka was concerned, the first truly good Firelord the country had seen. In some ways, the portrait looked nothing like Zuko. Zuko was the angry, voice-cracking, wall-punching, socially disastrous ponytail teenager who tried to hunt down Aang until he got a grip and realized he was on the wrong side of history. While it was annoying that he never shut up about it, he couldn’t help but respect that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>have honor. It wasn’t easy to fall to your knees in front of the guy you need to capture for your abusive dad to want you back and offer to be their prisoner so that you can join their group and take part in defeating your own dad and taking back your country. Jesus. That was the other thing about Zuko. He was going </span>
  <em>
    <span>through it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But not this Zuko. This Zuko was composed, prestigious. He made the silly looking traditional Fire Nation shoulder spikes and billowing robes look refined and bold. His hair was done up behind him, it’s spikiness tamed and smoothed, with the emblem of the fire nation in the hairpiece behind his ponytail. He looked serious. He always looked serious. His face was soft, though, a gentle jaw and round cheeks, reminding him how young he was to be mature enough to take the throne and take it well. And his eyes were orange. How did Sokka never notice that? He’d never caught a good look at them, always imagining they were brown or hazel or something. But sure enough, here they were, as bright as the first rays of a sunrise refracting through a glass of scotch. Orange eyes. </span>
</p><p><span>“Strange seeing him this way, isn’t it?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Sokka spun around. Behind him was General Iroh, his hands clasped behind the long sleeves of his robe. Sokka immediately stiffened. “General Iroh!” he exclaimed, his voice squeaking, “I was just… trying to learn a little more about Fire Nation History!” </span></p><p><span>“You do not have to explain yourself, Sokka,” Iroh said, smiling and raising a hand. “You forget, you are a close friend of the Firelord. Even I do not have the authority to tell you there is somewhere you’re not supposed to go!”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Sokka calmed, remembering the truth in that statement. “Sorry,” he said, “Guess I’m still getting used to hanging around the Fire Nation and not having to sneak around.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“It is understandable!” Iroh told him, with a raise of his eyebrows. He stepped forward to stand beside Sokka, and regarded the portrait of his nephew with pride glowing in his eyes. “Did you know he is the youngest to be crowned Firelord in all of Fire Nation history?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka raised his eyebrows. “No, I didn’t know,” he answered.</span>
</p><p><span>“And by a lot, too,” Iroh went on, “Second youngest was Firelord Chinzao, and he was 29! If our Firelords get any younger, we’ll have to start putting glass over the war table or else they’ll try and eat the soldiers!”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Iroh cast him his proud of himself post-joke look, and to his own surprise, Sokka did laugh, full and delighted. That was a first. “Yeah, you’ll have to get a royal babysitter!” he agreed.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Until recently, that was debatably my role,” Iroh said with a raise of his eyebrows, and turned back to the portrait. Sokka looked at him, at the pride in his beaming smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey - can I ask you something?” he asked suddenly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Certainly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… when Zuko betrayed you at Ba Sing Se to work with Azula, was that… was that for real?” he asked cautiously. Iroh smiled with understanding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean, were we conspiring together? Arranging a plot to trick you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka smiled with relief. “Yes,” he sighed, “Exactly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iroh shook his head. “No, Zuko really did betray me that night,” he explained, “He will be the first to admit that it was not his proudest moment. Though, if we held grudges against everyone manipulated or fooled by Azula, there would be none left innocent.” Upon seeing the bewildered look on Sokka’s face, he went on, “I understand this may be startling to you. But there is much about my nephew you do not know. And before you try and fight me by saying that he’s already told you about his scar, trust me, that is barely scratching the surface of what he’s been through. Some of it he does not even fully appreciate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, Zuko never told us how he got his scar. Why, is it bad?”</span>
</p><p><span>Iroh paused, taking a wide-eyed moment to evaluate his fuck-up, before he spun on his heel and announced. “Goodnight!”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Sokka’s chin wagged, staring at Iroh, who had the audacity to immediately start walking back down the hallway. “Wh- you can’t just-”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Sleep well, Sokka! I will see you in the morning!” Iroh said without looking back, and turned a corner at the end of the hall</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Big Doors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sokka is reminded how impressive Fire Nation sunrises are compared to those of the Water Tribe, and Zuko is delivered some unfortunate news.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>whoopsie doodle!! looks like my sense of purpose is gone and an emptiness is eating away at my soul. normally id feel dramatic saying that but who cares, its quarantine, do any of the rest of you feel different? no? thats what i thought</p><p>anyway heres some vaguely gay content. expect suki to arrive shortly! if i can write more of this that is. ill probably make some taz graduation content again soon since ya bitch is finally caught up. leave a comment to validate my fragile sense of self!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sokka resigned to the fact that he wouldn’t get any sleep that night, as it must have been around 4 AM at that point anyway and heading back to his room just to get up in two hours felt like a waste of time. Instead, he headed out to the front of the palace, facing down the enormous red and orange doors. He was absolutely dwarfed by them, perhaps a fifth of the height of the massive gates. Jeez, certainly made people inclined not to go outside. Nevertheless, he rolled his shoulders back, and headed over to the giant handles. They were made of solid gold and started about at his chin, and half the height of him and about as thick as his thighs near the middle. He grabbed as high as he could manage and pulled. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t budge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guards patrolling the halls walked into the sight of him with both feet up on the door and both hands on the handle, audibly struggling to get it to budge even slightly. The two of them exchanged looks, and then looked back at the proud member of the Southern Water Tribe, now trying to use his jacket wolven behind one of the handles and tugged from both ends to give him some extra room to maneuver. They muttered a few words to each other, played a quick game of ‘you do it, no you do it’, before one of them spoke up.</span>
</p><p><span>“Um, would you like some help with that, sir?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Sokk let out an undignified noise as he lost his grip on his jacket and fell to the ground, his back slamming the cold floor with a </span><em><span>thud. </span></em><span>Casting a wide-eyed look at the two figured he scrambled to his feet. He laughed nervously, touching the back of his neck. “Well, I, you know, I pretty much had it handled I think. Cultural differences, the Southern Water Tribe is a lot more igloos than doors, and I mean, I’m the chieftain of there, so…” He rocked forward on his toes, “I guess I’m pretty set in my ways… of being… door-less.” The guards remained rigid, waiting for something at least closer to answer. Sokka, looking somewhat defeated, sighed, “Yeah, I could… use a little help.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Yes, sir!” They both said in unison. They both rushed to opposite sides of the door and, into large, trumpeting golden openings Sokka had assumed were decorational, blasted two enormous plumes of fire. With a groan and a sigh, the doors opened part of the way, letting in a blast of heavenly cool early morning air. Sokka kicked himself for being so stupid.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Firebending. Right,” he muttered to himself, “Thanks guys!” He waved to the guards, who both nodded rigidly, and then proceeded out the doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka stepped out into the cool night air, and breathed it in. That was one nice thing about this place, however odd and minor it may have seemed. It smelled good. The Southern Water Tribe was known for giving people nosebleeds. Not Sokka, of course, who was used to the sharp dryness of the air and absolute absence of scent in the crisp, snowy air, but visitors, who were depressed to find a lack of greenery and life. There were, of course, smells of home - cooking seal meat, stewed sea-prunes, burying your face in the thick, fur coat of somebody you cared about. But those were all distinct, and separate - The Fire Nation was sweltering, parfumic, overwhelming. There were times when the thickness of the air was enough to make Sokka dizzy. The outsides of all the buildings smelled like sweet splashing tides and lilies so potent you could nearly taste them - like campfires and greenery and life. Being anywhere outdoors in The Fire Nation felt like stepping into a cloud of very distinct cologne. It was overwhelming, but had a relaxing beauty to it, one that constantly reminded Sokka he was far away from home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The place outside of the palace was beyond beautiful. Trees were overgrowing with flowers and vines, as were the little stone benches with various engravings in fire nation characters. The walls behind were red and gold and deep grey stone, their brilliance contradicting the natural tones of the vines which crawled it. In the middle of it all was a pond, with a family of turtle-ducks waddling out and shaking dry. Two small stone benches stood a few feet away from the pond, one to Sokka’s right and the other to his left. On the right bench, with his hair down and his eyes on the pond, was Zuko. Sokka suddenly felt as though he’d been caught red-handed.</span>
</p><p><span>“Oh, uh, Zuko!” he stammered, “I didn’t know you were out here!”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Zuko turned to face him, casting a look. “Why did you use the big door?” he asked, squinting behind him.</span></p><p>
  <span>“What do you- because I wanted to go outside, get some fresh air!” he answered, with a passionate gesture behind him, “How else was I gonna get out here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Through there.” He gestured do a much smaller, more convenient door to the right of him, against one of the sides of stone building that bordered the garden. It was conveniently person-sized, and still slightly open from when Zuko went out to the garden. Sokka let his head fall into his hands and groaned. Zuko flashed an amused smile (a rare expression for the stoic Firelord) and turned back to the pond. Sokka, somewhat dejected, headed over to the pond and sat down at the bench opposite Zuko’s. There he enjoyed a moment of quiet, leaning back and kicking his feet against the grass. The sun was coming up over the horizon now, and it was the most brilliant sunset he had ever seen. It blasted orange light over everything it touched as soon as it showed its face, rich enough that it was hard to believe it wasn’t real, hard to believe it wasn’t honey that could be scooped right off the water and leaves of the trees. Sokka watched with awe as the sun began to hold its head over the edge of the Earth, bigger than he’d ever seen it, a goliath that seemed to eat the entire sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow…” he whispered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” Zuko asked, somewhat disinterested. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh it’s just… I haven’t traveled in a while, I forgot how tiny Water Tribe sunrises are compared to the Fire Nation,” he admitted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko nodded in acknowledgment. “Right,” he said, and then stopped it there. Sokka looked over at him. Even after all this time, those two specifically had never fully gotten over the awkwardness that revealed itself at Boiling Rock. Then again, maybe Zuko was like that with everyone. He was kind of an awkward guy, Sokka evaluated. Nevertheless, he tried for conversation again. “What brings you out here first thing in the morning?” he asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko didn’t look at him, staring at the water. “I’m trying to figure something out,” he said, “My uncle tells me a change of scenery sometimes helps.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it helping?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” admitted Zuko. He reached to the side of him and lifted a small cup of tea, heated it with a small candle-light from his fingertips, and then took a sip. </span>
</p><p><span>Sokka leaned back. “Is this like… personal stuff or Firelord stuff?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Firelord stuff,” answered Zuko, “One of the first Fire Nation colonies was in an Earth Kingdom city called Xiao Ming. The soldiers evicted all the members of the Earth Kingdom living there. Now the ancestors of the city’s inhabitants want the city back. They’re willing to share the space as long as they can maintain their culture and the Fire Nation pays for the building of new homes. But there’s almost a thousand of them! And it’s a walled-in city, like Ba Sing Se! We may be able to pay for new houses, but that doesn’t do us any good if there’s no where to put them!” </span></p><p><span>Sokka squinted, eyebrows creased in thought. “Actually, there just might be,” he said. He leaned forward, and gestured while he spoke. “This is an Earth Kingdom city. Earth Kingdom architecture is as strong as people want it to be because it’s traditionally made by the Earthbenders themselves. You need to think like an Earthbender - Walled cities are a phenomenon in the Earth Kingdom because, unlike in the Fire Nation, Earthbenders have two more directions for construction - up and down!” Sokka was getting gradually more excited as he went on, a grin spreading across his face. “They said you wanted to pay for the construction, right? So, instead of paying Fire Nation construction guys to build new conventional houses, you pay skilled Earthbenders to build new houses above or below!”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Intrigue sparked in Zuko’s eyes. “That’s not a bad idea…” he admitted, “But some of those houses are hundreds of years old, and even our strongest architecture isn’t strong enough to handle houses made completely out of rock piled on top of them! And I don’t think real estate totally underground is what they had in mind.”</span></p><p>
  <span>Sokka touched his chin, placing his other hand on his knee and looking intently into the pond. “Unless!” he exclaimed eagerly, raising a finger, “You built the new houses </span>
  <em>
    <span>underneath</span>
  </em>
  <span> the old ones!”</span>
</p><p><span>“I </span><em><span>just said </span></em><span>we couldn’t build them underground.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Not underground!” Sokka insisted, “Underneath! These houses have foundations and basements in the ground - but that won’t be a problem if the ground stays with them! For every Fire Nation home we could have two or three new houses just by raising a pillar of ground beneath them! And to prevent sinkholes, we could bring ground in from elsewhere - bring it in from a pit outside the town! We set up ladders or some crazy Fire Nation tech to get to the higher houses - and voila!”</span></p><p>
  <span>Zuko contemplated that, searching for flaws, but he couldn’t find any. “That… might actually work,” he said, fascinated, “How did you think of that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sokka shrugged smugly, “Oh, you know, just brainstorming,” he mused, puffing out his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There came the sound of footsteps from within the Palace, and out scurried a young man carrying a scroll. “Firelord Zuko. Message for you from the Earth Kingdom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko nodded, and thanked him. He unrolled it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dear Zuko,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey, so remember how I said you probably wouldn’t have to deal with any meetings or ambassadors until I was gone? Turns out I might have forgotten one. Sorry! But it’s really not that big a deal! Just a quick visit from the Earth King, and he’s a really nice guy and we saved his life, so he has to be nice to you about stuff. Also, the Kyoshi warriors are with him, so at least you’ll have those guys on your side! You can see your cool chi bender friend again, that’s a plus! I’m kind of stuck in a week long council meeting at the moment, but I’ll get back as fast as I can. Meeting with the Earth King is I think tomorrow-ish based on how fast news travels and also he thinks I’m gonna be there I think but I know you can handle it! Just remember what we talked about - Confidence, and subtlety!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So sorry again,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Aang</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko let out something between a growl of rage and a groan of agony, crinkling up the paper in his grip. Goddammit, Aang, you said there weren’t going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>meetings, much less ones with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Earth King! </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Sokka asked.</span>
</p><p><span>“Aang just forgot to mention that he scheduled a meeting with the Earth King!” he exclaimed, forcefully hitting the paper with the back of his hand, “You’d think the guy who managed to take down an Empire would be more organized!”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Yup, that’s Aang,” Sokka said casually, “Where is Aang, anyway?”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Dealing with something in Omashu…” he said, head still in his hands, “Ugh!” he exclaimed again, reflecting a fraction of the anger he carried in his youth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the big deal?” asked Sokka, “He’s the Earth King, you’re the Firelord, you’re on the same ground. He already loves you anyway, we showed him what was going on outside his city.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You showed him that the Fire Nation had ruined his country, which it did! And at the time I remember being busy running off with my sister who had just finished betraying him!” he cried, “And I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but my skillset does not exactly include ‘people skills’. Don’t try to deny it, I know it about myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t gonna try to deny it!” Sokka admitted. Zuko scowled. “Look, I’m sure you can handle it! You may be an awkward teenager, but you’re a good leader. Say what you think is right and I’m sure he’ll look over your discomfort making small talk. You’re not trying to be his friend, you’re trying to represent your country.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm,” groaned Zuko, “That’s what Aang said…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and he’s the Avatar,” Sokka confirmed, “So he must know what he’s talking about.”</span>
</p><p><span>Zuko sighed. “You’ll be happy to know that he’s arriving here tomorrow with an entourage of the Kyoshi warriors.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>Sokka very suddenly resembled a dog that had just heard the word ‘walk’, perking up with wonder in his eyes. “That’s Suki!” he exclaimed, “She’s coming here tomorrow?”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Apparently,” sighed Zuko, “I should probably prepare things for them. But it’s… already morning.” He looked at the horizon, and his head fell to his chest. </span>
</p><p><span>“Cheer up, buddy!” Sokka encouraged, “That’s the perk of being Firelord! Everybody does everything for you!”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Not everything…” he groused. He stood up, and rolled back his shoulders with a crack. “Uh, do me a favor? Could you maybe not go back inside through the big doors this time?”</span></p><p><span>Sokka scowled, “Hey, how was I supposed to know there was a side door? I just figured all your comings and goings were as dramatic as your coronation.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Not when you just want to go outside for some fresh air,” Zuko said, with a hint of a smile, “Thank you for your advice, Sokka.” He bowed formally.</span></p><p>
  <span>Sokka spun around to face him. “Hey, come on, you know I hate that formal stuff,” he objected, “Oh, by the way, speaking of Sokka, are you the one who told all the guards to call me </span>
  <em>
    <span>Chieftain?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>“Uh…” Zuko thought for a moment, looking off to the side, “I may have… referred to you like that, in passing. Why, aren’t you?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Well, yeah, but…” Sokka felt an irresistible smile crawling at his face at the mere concept, “I mean… I don’t usually… I mean it is my title but nobody actually… calls me that-”</span></p><p>
  <span>“If you want me to change it-”</span>
</p><p><span>“No no, no, Chieftain’s good.” He got a smug look in his eye. “</span><em><span>Firelord.”</span></em><em><span><br/></span></em> <span>Every once in a while, Sokka spoke with a tone that Zuko struggled to put together. Maybe it was a cultural thing… maybe it was that ‘having a sense of humor’ that was something everyone but him seemed to understand. Either way, Zuko’s face went a little hot and he looked off, before awkwardly answering, “Uh, yeah… Anyway… I’d better…” and heading back to the palace.  </span></p>
  </div></div>
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